Page 6 of Will (The Cowboys of Calamity, Texas #3)

But the biggest question mark in his mind was Honey. Why had she been at the Crossroads Bar last night, telling Will that he was the man she’d been looking for? Why had she dragged him out to her car after that fight and dumped him into her back seat?

And what had happened to Mr. Whiskey Sour?

Will had provoked that fight as a diversion, hoping to make his escape without Mr. Whiskey Sour following him. It might not have gone exactly as he had planned, but he’d succeeded.

His gaze moved over the bedroom, and he noted the blue-and-green bed quilt and a row of rodeo trophies on a shelf by the closet. If he remembered right, Theo had attended Calamity High School.

Was Will in Calamity?

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he ignored the pain and the slight headache behind his eyes, something he’d learned to do on the job. His focus right now was tracking down Mr. Whiskey Sour.

After tucking in his loose shirttails, Will looked around the room for his gray snakeskin cowboy boots, but he couldn’t find them.

They weren’t inside the closet or under the bed.

Finally, giving up the search, he padded over to the window and pulled back the lace curtain to reveal a vista of rolling hills, pine trees, and the big blue Texas sky.

He remembered Honey wrapping her arms around him for support. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath. He owed her. Big-time.

Dropping the curtain from his hand, he walked out of the bedroom and headed straight for the bathroom. After splashing cold water on his face to help him wake up, Will inspected himself in the mirror.

It wasn’t a pretty sight.

Honey’s friend, Steed, and his pals had done a number on his face. Will remembered getting in a few good licks himself, but he’d definitely been outnumbered. Turning off the faucet, he thought he heard light footsteps outside the bathroom door.

“Will?” Honey called out. “Breakfast is almost ready.”

He cleared his throat. “I’ll be right out.”

Then he gently patted his face dry with a hand towel. He was sore. He was starving. And he was ready for some answers.

“Good morning,” Honey greeted him, standing at the kitchen stove and placing crisp bacon strips onto a platter.

“Morning,” he said, his voice sounding rough to his ears. The well-appointed kitchen was all stainless-steel appliances and natural pine wood flooring and cabinets. White lace curtains hung at the big window over a farm-style stainless-steel sink.

“Would you like a cup of coffee?” Honey asked. “I just brewed a fresh pot, and you look like you could use it.”

She wasn’t wrong, but he wasn’t about to admit it. He barely knew this woman and still questioned how she’d remembered him so easily.

“Thanks, I can help myself.” He walked over to the coffeepot on the white quartz countertop, then filled a blue ceramic mug to the brim.

Leaning back against the counter, Will sipped his coffee and studied Honey.

She was barefoot and wore an off-the-shoulder white blouse and a long black formfitting skirt that showed off her figure.

Her long blond hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and a delicate turquoise and silver necklace lay against the soft, creamy skin at her throat.

Will glanced down at his own wrinkled shirt and jeans. “Sorry, I don’t usually dress up for breakfast.”

She laughed. “Neither do I. But this was the only outfit I had in the closet. I must have left it here after my family’s Christmas get-together. And the clothes I wore yesterday had blood on them, so I’m stuck with this.”

“You look great,” he said. “And this cabin is amazing. But I do have some questions.”

“Shoot,” she said, carrying the platter of bacon and a serving bowl of scrambled eggs over to the kitchen table.

He walked over to join her, pulling out a chair and taking a seat. “Question number one: Where are we? Number two: Where are my cowboy boots? And number three: Have I been kidnapped?”

* * *

Honey could hear the irritation in Will’s voice, and she really couldn’t blame him.

This was a baffling situation, and he’d had a rough time of it.

Not only had Will been whisked away from the bar last night while he was practically unconscious, but he looked like hell this morning.

The bruises on his face had spread and darkened.

He had a black eye, a lumpy jaw, and a swollen bottom lip.

And those were just the injuries she could see. There was probably more under his rumpled clothing. Although, considering the fight had been three against one, it could have been much worse. But something told her Will probably didn’t see it that way.

“First, I have a question for you,” she said. “Why did you goad Steed into a fight last night? Especially since it was practically guaranteed that you would come out on the losing end.”

His brow furrowed. “Who said I lost?”

“Well, the ER doctor, for one,” she said. “He was surprised you didn’t have any broken ribs. I guess it’s a good thing Steed and his gang went easy on you.”

“Easy on me?” He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I don’t think so.” Then he spooned some scrambled eggs onto his plate. “Just how close are you to Steed? You two seemed pretty chummy.”

“We grew up together, but I rarely see him around Calamity anymore. I did write a story about him once, and he’s been fond of me ever since.”

“Judging by the power of his punch, I think you might underestimate how Steed feels about you. But what’s this about a story?”

“It was a newspaper story,” she clarified. “I’ve been an investigative reporter with the Calamity Chronicle for the past ten years, but I’m hoping to move on to a regional news syndicate in Austin soon.”

She was tempted to inform Will how he could help make that happen, but she would wait until he was in a better mood. She noticed that he’d avoided answering her question, but she didn’t press him about it. After all, she was keeping secrets, too.

“Now, to answer your questions. We’re at my family’s cabin. I hid your cowboy boots last night because I thought that would make you less likely to wander off into the wilderness.”

He gave a grunt.

“Take it from me, you do not want to go on a walk around here in your bare feet. We are miles from the nearest town, and there’s a lot of rough terrain between here and civilization.”

“You don’t say.”

She took a long sip of her coffee before setting the mug back on the table. “And you haven’t been kidnapped.”

“Then what’s really going on?”

She picked up the bacon strip and took a bite, chewing slowly.

Should she confide in him? Tell him she’d gone to the Crossroads Bar last night because she wanted to get his life story?

And after what she’d seen last night, she was more curious about him than ever.

And almost certain he was hiding something.

“You should ask your friend Joyce about that,” she said.

“Huh?” He blinked.

“She’s the one who told me to hide you somewhere and not let you out of my sight. This was the best place I could think of at the time.”

He gave a slow nod, looking deep in thought.

“Now, it’s your turn. I know you’re a Texas Ranger, not a bartender, so what have you really been doing at the Crossroads Bar?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Well, then settle in, Cowboy, because I have lot more questions.”

A text notification sounded on his phone. She watched him pull it out of his pocket.

“Sorry,” he said, not sounding sorry at all. “But it looks like we need to go. Joyce just sent me a message that she wants to meet with us ASAP.”

“At the bar?” she asked, sitting up in her chair.

“Nope. She only sent me directions but didn’t name the place. Joyce has always been cautious like that.”

For a moment, Honey wondered if he was telling her everything. But it didn’t really matter. She had Will Pierce in her sights. And she wasn’t about to let him go.